Results

        NEW ORLEANS — A lot of good things happened Sunday to Xavier University of Louisiana women's tennis. Kareemah Muhammad made a triumphant return, McKenna Wheatley won in singles against the 2022 Red River Athletic Conference Tournament MVP, and it was senior day for Lindsey Dixon.
        But for the third consecutive time over two seasons, LSU-Alexandria escaped with a 4-3 victory against the Gold Nuggets.
        It was the regular-season finale for XULA, which closed this part of the schedule with conseutive 4-3 home losses to ranked NAIA opponents.
        If seedings hold up, NAIA No. 4 XULA (19-6) and No. 3 LSUA (10-2) will meet again soon: Saturday, April 29 at noon at XULA in the championship match of the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament. The Generals beat the Gold Nuggets 4-3 in the RRAC tourney title match a year ago. Ten weeks ago there was another LSUA 4-3 victory against XULA — in the opening round of the ITA NAIA National Indoor Championships.
        Sunday the Gold Nuggets rallied from a 2-0 deficit, tying the match at 3 on singles victories by, in order, Tianna Dixon, Wheatley and Muhammad. But LSUA's Annemart Kleijn clinched with a rally on the fourth court; she defeated Valaine Clarke 2-6, 7-5, 7-5.
        Patricia Martinez Molina and Candela Bonivardi clinched the doubles point with a 7-5 victory against Clarke and Yi Chen Pao. In singles, Tianna Dixon defeated Olivia Scattini 6-4, 6-1 on court three, Wheatley beat Martinez Molina 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) on court six, and Muhammad — playing for the first time since an injury in early February — defeated Bonivardi 6-3, 6-4 on court one.
        LSUA is 5-0 against the Gold Nuggets the last two seasons; four of those victories were at XULA. Before that streak XULA had won eight straight against LSUA.